Mayor Susan Golding filed a homestead declaration on her University City condo

San Diego — San Diego Mayor Susan Golding has at least one unpaid bill left over from her ill-fated senate campaign. According to a lien filed in August by the State of California, Susan Golding for U.S. Senate owes $1154 in back taxes. Maybe that's why Golding filed a homestead declaration last month on her University City residence. Such documents, filed in the county recorder's office, offer some protection against irate creditors foreclosing on personal residences and seizing all the proceeds ... A professional campaign fundraiser from San Diego is making news in Las Vegas over accusations he improperly pressured would-be donors to the gubernatorial campaign of Las Vegas mayor Jan Jones. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Dan Geary reminded potential givers to Jones that, win or lose, she would still be mayor after the gubernatorial campaign was over. Two local contractors said they felt threatened by Geary's remarks, left on their voice mail, but Geary told the paper he "didn't mean to imply a threat or any disrespect, and if they took it this way, I really regret it." ... The bill to the taxpayers for all that baseball hype is just beginning to come due. Latest cost: police staffing for the Padres parade last Friday. While thousands of motorists were trapped in an unpoliced traffic jam outside of Sea World, hundreds of cops were diverted downtown. "To properly staff the parade, on-duty detectives and officers in other specialized assignments will be needed to ensure a safe and successful event," said a confidential memo to "All Commanding Officers" from Cliff Resch, captain of the SDPD traffic division. "Officers coming from Area Commands are to travel to Headquarters in a patrol car, four officers to a car. All first watch officers should be prepared for an extended shift."

Send-up blow-up

A San Diego-based Border Patrol agent has drawn the wrath of his Washington superiors over a fake help-wanted advertisement he posted on a Web site belonging to a Border Patrol agent's union. "Think we won't hire you? Think again!" said the take-off, purporting to be seeking new agents on behalf of the Border Patrol. "We have recently hired known criminals, drug smugglers, gangbangers, people out of drug rehab, pizza delivery guys, people who write on a fifth-grade level, and, yes, even illegal aliens." According to an account in last week's Government Computer News, agent Joseph Dessaro posted the ad in July after becoming frustrated by accounts of bad hires in the Border Patrol. The parody on the Web site, belonging to National Border Control Council Local 1613, reportedly sent Dessaro's higher-ups into a rage, but they backed off after learning Dessaro had put the ad together using his own time and computer equipment and had consulted the San Diego branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. The Border Patrol currently has about 7800 agents but is aiming to boost that number to about 11,000 in a controversial rapid build-up.

Pension follies

A scandal in Texas has exposed members of the San Diego County Retirement Board as first-class junketeers. According to a report in Saturday's Houston Chronicle, a state board of education member traveled to San Francisco to play golf in a tournament paid for by more than a dozen investment firms interested in doing business with the state. "The list of the approximately 150 tournament participants indicates that most of the other guests were invited because of their affiliations with groups with large investment funds. For example, among the other players were representatives of the San Diego County employees retirement system," the Chronicle revealed. "A money manager in private business said the tournament is 'a way of making sure the bond is strong' between client and manager. 'I wouldn't call it a bribe. It's an event where people can network.' " This isn't the first time the county has been tagged with taking gifts from bond dealers and other special interests. Last year, Richard Rose, the county's pension-fund director, was forced to resign after being charged with shoplifting $900 in merchandise from a hotel gift shop on one such excursion to Scottsdale, Arizona. He later completed a "shoplifting diversion program" and charges were reportedly dismissed.

Contributor: Matt Potter